Manassas Park Community Matters Blog: The Benefits of Gardens-By Jay Swisher

As a child, I grew up on a beef cattle farm in Southwest Virginia. We lived about 20 minutes from the closest store and didn’t really have an abundance of entertainment options such as movie theatres, malls, or batting cages.  Technically, we didn’t have any entertainment options.  While at the time, I often coveted my friends who lived in “town”, close to all the modern conveniences; I relished the thought of joining them and having the opportunity to just walk down the community baseball field or basketball courts and spontaneously start up a game of pick up with the neighborhood kids.  While many of my friends were out playing baseball or swimming, I was often out putting up hay with my dad or helping my mom weed the garden.  These activities certainly weren’t much fun or very exciting, however as I’ve grown older I’ve quickly developed an appreciation for the rewards of such activities, the garden in particular. 

When it came to food, I was definitely spoiled while I lived at home.  We had a beautiful garden that produced a variety of vegetables. We ate fresh vegetables all summer long and my mom would additionally freeze and can vegetables throughout the summer to ensure we had homegrown vegetables throughout the remainder of the year.  It was rare to find a store bought canned vegetable in the house at any given time, especially in the summer.

Looking back today, I really miss having a large garden.  While it’s certainly a lot of work, the rewards definitely outweigh the disadvantages.  With land at a premium and certain HOA limitations; tending a garden in the DC Metro Region can be a challenging feat.  If you are able to find a way to make it happen however, the benefits are countless.

Some studies suggest that gardening can fight stress more effectively than other relaxing leisure activities.  While we are often inundated throughout the day with cell phones, texts, email, traffic, etc., the calm, serene influence of the outdoors can have a relaxing effect.  Some studies have linked gardening to an improvement in depression symptoms.  Some experts even think the exposure to harmless bacteria commonly found in soil and its predisposition to possibly increase the release and metabolism of serotonin in parts of the brain are one of the reasons for this impact on mood. 

While some positive mental health effects seem apparent, gardening provides physical benefits as well.  Gardening is a great means of low impact exercise.  Gardening allows you to work all major muscle groups and is a great form of functional fitness.  Your actions are representative of real life movements, making this form of exercise practical and functional.  You are constantly bending, kneeling, lifting, and stretching; aiding in cardiovascular endurance and strength training.  Individuals of all ages and fitness levels can see fitness benefits from gardening as activity is easily modified or altered based on individual limitations.

Maybe the best part of all is the fact that the food you grow is the freshest, healthiest food you can eat.  You have the power to ensure that no pesticides or chemicals are used on your fruits/vegetables and have complete say so as to how your food is prepared.  Cost wise, growing your own fruits and vegetables is also much more affordable. You are essentially able to harvest significantly more product for a fraction of the cost. Your food costs less and tastes better; that’s definitely a win-win.

You don’t need a huge space to begin a garden.  Raised beds or container plants are a great way to get started. Start small and as you gain confidence, increase your gardening repertoire each season and see your collection grow.  Your neighbors, family, and friends will be happy to help you sample the fruits of your labor I’m sure.

Jay

Community Matters is a blog created by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation. The blog features program updates, announcements of new services, special event notices, or information of general interest.

Reference:  www.health.com